Renowned Chinese chess players Wang Tianyi and Zhao Xinxin, who once caused a stir in the Chinese chess community, have been prosecuted by the prosecutors for suspicion of bribery and corruption. All six defendants are top-tier grandmasters in Chinese chess, with Wang Tianyi being hailed as the “Number One in Chinese Chess”.
According to a report by the mainland media “Economic Observer” on April 11, Wang Tianyi, Zhao Xinxin, Hong Zhi, Xu Chao, Xie Jing, and Wang Yuefei, six male Chinese chess players, have recently been charged by the Hangzhou Shangcheng District Prosecutor’s Office for alleged bribery and corruption as non-state employees. The exact date for the court hearing has not been determined yet.
The prosecution of Wang Tianyi stems from the “Audio Gate” incident that exposed the dark side of the Chinese chess world in 2023. A leaked phone call between grandmasters Wang Yuefei and Hao Jichao revealed Wang Tianyi’s involvement in match-fixing and cheating in chess competitions, causing a massive uproar online.
On April 23, 2024, Wang Tianyi was interviewed by the police. Subsequently, on August 23, 2024, he was officially arrested by the Hangzhou procuratorate for allegedly orchestrating match-fixing by either manipulating the game or intentionally losing for financial gains.
The Chinese Chess Association announced on September 19, 2024, that both Wang Tianyi and Wang Yuefei were banned from chess for life and stripped of all technical titles by the Association for their involvement in match-fixing and game manipulation.
The Chinese Chess Association stated that an in-depth investigation revealed Wang Tianyi and Wang Yuefei’s serious violations of buying and selling games and manipulating competitions, causing significant damage to the chess community.
In January 12, 2025, the Chinese Chess Association announced the punishment of 41 Chinese male chess players, with Zhao Xinxin, Wang Yang, and Zheng Weitong receiving lifetime bans and having their technical titles revoked.
However, Hong Zhi, Xu Chao, and Xie Jing, who are now prosecuted by the Hangzhou prosecutors, were not included in the previous list of 41 sanctioned players. Moreover, Wang Yang and Zheng Weitong were not among those accused in the current lawsuit.
Insider sources revealed to the “Economic Observer” that the six Chinese chess players facing charges, namely Wang Tianyi, Zhao Xinxin, Hong Zhi, Xu Chao, Xie Jing, and Wang Yuefei, are accused of bribery and corruption as non-state employees, involving a network of game-fixing transactions.
Among them, Wang Tianyi is accused of receiving over 110,000 yuan from match-fixing activities, while his involvement in buying games allegedly amounts to over 900,000 yuan. Zhao Xinxin holds the highest total amount involved, with over 1.6 million yuan from match-fixing and over 800,000 yuan from buying games. Notably, Wang Tianyi was reported as one of the biggest buyers from Zhao Xinxin.
Currently, Xu Chao, Xie Jing, and Wang Yuefei have accepted plea bargains, while Wang Tianyi, Zhao Xinxin, and Hong Zhi have not done so.
After the prosecution by the Hangzhou Shangcheng District Prosecutor’s Office, the case was formally registered by the Shangcheng District Court on March 11, 2025. As of April 10, 2025, the exact date for the trial has not been confirmed.
Public records show that Wang Tianyi was born in Beijing in 1989 and demonstrated exceptional talent in chess from a young age. In 2012, he won the National Chess Championship and was promoted to the title of grandmaster. From 2014 onwards, Wang Tianyi held the top rank in Chinese chess player ratings for eleven consecutive years, reaching a historic high of 2800 points in 2023, making him the “Number One in Chinese Chess”.
The news of top national chess players such as Wang Tianyi facing prosecution has sparked various reactions online, with some netizens expressing surprise at the scandal involving such talented players. Others have highlighted the pervasive nature of fraud in different aspects of society.
Political commentator Ji Da, currently in the United States, remarked on the systemic corruption within the Chinese Communist Party, indicating that the sports sector is not immune to such issues.